Day 2: Alpine Driving
Jacob and I knew that once we got to Provence, we definitely wanted to at least take a driving tour of the eastern portion known as “Alpes de Haute Provence”. We love the mountains and we could not imagine coming so close yet missing out. So, early on Monday morning we headed out for Forcalquier which is a hill town with a once a month Marche Provencal. While many towns have weekly markets for the locals, some have larger markets with products from all over the region. Since Forcalquier’s large market coincided with our visit, we decided it was a good excuse to make it our gateway to the Alps.
Free parking was simple and easily accessible on the edge of the oldest part of town off of the N100. We arrived some time between 10 and 11 am and there was plenty of parking to be had. We walked up from parking towards the church. There was a brass band playing in the main plaza in front of the church and tourism office. You could hear them in every stretch of the market. I loved the woman knitting baskets as she stood against the wall of the church. We picked up some picnic and dinner staples like cheese and bread before heading back out of town. And, looking back at the end of the week, I enjoyed the couple of kitchen supply vendors that were at Forcalquier. I didn’t see similar vendors at the Apt market and found it slightly odd considering Apt had nearly everything else under the sun. But the truth of the matter is that I bought a nice little paring knife and a solid corkscrew that work like a dream and cost me 7E total. Forcalquier’s market was a close second for the Portland Saturday Market that I grew up visiting frequently.
With GPS in hand, we set out to see the sights on the D900 in Alpes de Haute Provence because when a certain someone is sick and says, “I want to see snow on mountains,” we just tell Jill to send us to Seyne. Is this going slow? You’d think so if you’ve ever drove the D900 north of Seyne. Is it in ever growing circles? Try taking a loop around Lac Serre Poncon and see if you wouldn’t describe it as a loop!
We have been to the Himalayas, the Rockies, and now the Alps. We are never prepared for the sheer awe that these large mountain ranges inspire in us. The small taste we had of Lac Serre Poncon already has us dreaming of our next opportunity to return and head a bit further north of Provence to explore the French Alps.
We learned quite a bit about Lac Serre Poncon just from the view point. There is also a large museum at the crest of the D3 called the Museoscope which has diaramas of nearly every aspect of the dam construction and the towns that were flooded on the valley floor when the lake was created. We were amazed to learn that the power generated by the lake’s dam system provide nearly 50% of the energy used in Provence. This was astounding considering that over 90% of France’s electrical power is generated by nuclear power plants.
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April 14, 2008 No Comments
A Blog in Pictures
Jacob is still coughing, which keeps him from ever quite getting to sleep. We’re staying in the Hotel L’Europe in Avignon tonight before our very early train tomorrow. We had a lovely dinner at Le Moutardiere that we nearly fell asleep in the middle of, we’re so exhausted (or perhaps relaxed) by our vacation.
I’m frantically uploading pictures to the photo gallery before he makes me curl up and go to bed.
Enjoy!
April 13, 2008 No Comments
We’re Currently Experiencing Technical Difficulties …
Please stand by!
While on vacation we’ve upgraded to the latest version of WordPress and all the nice automation we once had for taking care of images is now just a little more work. That means that posts are just coming along slower.
In brief, while you’re waiting for the bigger posts:
- On Monday, we drove to the Alps.
- On Tuesday, we drove to Pernes les Fontaines through the Foret de Venasque.
- On Wednesday, we stayed around Apt.
- Yesterday, we scaled a variety of Roman ruins including Glanum and Pont du Gard.
Unfortunately, Jacob decided that he would get a nasty cold literally the day we got on to the plane for our vacation. It has taken him a few days to get over the worst of it and there really is no better place to completely rest than here in Provence.
The weather has also been a bit gloomy. Though, we were able to get to the Alps and Pont du Gard during the best days of our trip, providing the most breath taking of views.
If you are anxious to see the photos, you can always visit them at our photo gallery.
April 11, 2008 1 Comment
How to use American credit and ATM cards in France
Mastercard claims that cardholders have access to more than a million ATMs in 210 countries and Visa claims a similarly high number, but go ahead and use them, and you’ll find barriers erected in all directions. Some are purely economic: surcharges, high ATM fees, currency conversion charges, and cross-border transaction fees. Then, there are the really tricky ones: differing global security standards.
So, you walk up to an ATM in France with a Visa or Mastercard logo and insert your US-issued credit or debit card with the same logo. Depending on the ATM, it may ignore your card, spit back your card, or even eat your card (less likely). Your card is defective by French standards, lacking a crucial piece of technology to provide a higher level of security against fraud. All across Europe, merchants and ATMs are implementing new technology often referred to as “chip and pin.” In France, this technology goes back to the early 90s, and in its original form was country-specific. This meant that cards issued outside of France were at a distinct disadvantage — typically French, you might say, analogous to their choice of SECAM for TV over the US’s NTSC or the rest of the known universe’s PAL. Still, a new global standard for this so-called chip and pin technology is emerging, called EMV. This is good news, since it means global travelers aren’t going to be restricted from using their beloved plastic, but bad news for US-based cardholders whose cards are incompatible with this technology.
Now, the merits and woes of chip and card can be debated endlessly, but a very practical consideration still exists: I’m in France / UK / Italy and I want to get cash / buy train tickets / get gas / buy something at a store. Here are some basic tips to get you started:
ATM/Cashpoints:
Risks: You often can’t tell if they will accept your card until you’ve inserted the card, but in my experience, the worst they will do is spit your card back out. Still, be cautious – non-US designs are different, and you don’t want your card to fall victim to a so-called “skimming” scheme where thieves attach a card reader and collect card data and PINs. If anything about the ATM seems ‘wrong’, pick another one.
- Network Logos: Your card will have either a Plus (VISA) or Cirrus (Mastercard) logo on the back — try to pick an ATM that matches.
- Finding Compatible ATMs: I try to look for ATMs which advertise “foreign cards welcome” – you’ll often see these in airports, train stations, and more touristy areas. If one ATM in an area doesn’t work, keep trying – with tens of thousands of ATMs, you’re bound to find one soon. We tried a BNP Paribas which didn’t work (card wouldn’t insert) then found a LCL two doors down which worked like a charm.
- Transaction Sizes: While it may be tempting to make large withdrawals, remember that ATMs can issue large notes as well – exchanging a 100 EUR or 100 Pound note isn’t something you can do anywhere. It can be helpful to get a receipt to remember locations that did or didn’t work.
Stores:
Point of Sale terminals generally have a slot up front to insert your card, and keypad on top to enter the PIN. Many terminals allow the magnetic strip to be swiped as well, either above the PIN pad or on the side. If this isn’t possible, the register generally will accommodate the transaction either by swiping or hand-entering the card, although convincing the clerk to do this may not be trivial. Younger clerks especially may not remember how this used to be commonplace. Remain polite but insistent, as Visa and Mastercard rules do require that they accept your card.
Gas Stations and Train Stations:
Almost universally, self-service systems for dispensing fuel, train tickets, or anything else will not accept a card without a smart chip. Equally universally, human beings will accept your chip-free card. At train stations, approach a staffed ticket counter. At gas stations or attraction ticket offices, find a person to discuss the matter. Consider having some cash for emergencies as sometimes these can be difficult to navigate, although few self-serve devices take cash either. Resist the urge to walk.
Restaurants:
Most restaurants which take cards have a small wireless device which acts as a combination card reader and PIN entry device. When you express a desire to pay by card, the waiter will bring the wireless device over, enter the transaction amount, and accept the card. If it were PIN-based, he or she would then hand you the pin entry pad (which is often attached with a short cord), you’d enter your PIN and the charge would go through. These devices almost always allow the card to be swiped and a signature to be gathered. If not, mechanisms exist for authorization via phone call (slow and to be avoided). Is is very much not typical for a waiter to remove a card from your sight to make the charge, as might be expected in the US. It is wise to keep your card in sight at all times.
Credit versus Debit Cards:
All this security is because debit cards are overwhelming the norm in Europe, and where liability for fraud is on the banks in the US, it falls to merchants and card users in Europe. The net issue here: if your card is cloned and your bank account is cleaned out, you might have no legal recourse if you were unable to prove the fraud. Of course, your account being US-based, this doesn’t affect you, but it might help to explain why people find PIN-based transactions so comforting.
This does lead to one important detail: if you use a debit card with your bank account, consider not using it for anything but PIN-based cash withdrawals overseas. Make sure you notify your issuer before you leave, but also be aware that this results in them backing off their anti-fraud efforts. The more times the card is exposed the higher risk you’re at. With a pure credit card, only your line of credit is at risk, but with a bank debit card, your whole account is at risk. Plan accordingly.
Final thoughts:
I’m finding this post much longer than expected, but one last item for those who like to travel outside the US. One way to avoid some of the fees is by making a careful choice of what ATM card to carry in those circumstances. Bank of America is the sole US issuer participating in the Global ATM Alliance which offers fee-free withdrawals from major banks in several European countries (plus China). Another alternative is the Fidelity mySmart cash management account which doesn’t charge ATM fees at all, period.
April 9, 2008 1 Comment
In Apt: The Apartment
Never were we more happy than when we finally found the door for La Madone. Nathalie met us along with Luna. We were promptly escorted next door to see what would be our home for the upcoming week.
Located in a large town house just across the quais from the old center of the town, La Madone is named for its most striking architectural feature, a large statue of the Madonna in an acolve along the top floor looking out towards the city.
Now, if only we had walked down the street in this direction rather than towards the prefecture, maybe we would have seen the large sign! But, the drama aside, the apartment is beautiful. We have rented the Appartement Lin for the week. From the above picture, it is on the top floor from the farthest arched window on the left (the kitchen), clear past the alcove of the Madonna (our bedroom!).
Since it is located on the third floor (American) of the town house without an elevator, it is not accessible to all people. It is, however, secluded and spacious for a rental apartment. A tiled, spiral staircase provides access to the upper floors. Another aspect of being on the third floor is the charming and well-thought out space of being beneath the rafters of the house. Being tall people, this is always a concern but the minimum clearance is six feet and it soars to between 9-10 feet in the main living area and higher in the bedroom.
Of all the apartments that were available, we requested the Lin for its spacious and airy kitchen with plenty of work surfaces. We wanted to be able to use the kitchen liberally for dinners and avoid eating out as much as possible. The kitchen fits the bill. There is a nice stove top, plenty of sautee pans and pots, the key utensils, a typical European fridge, an oven that works like a dream, and for when we are really, really, really lazy – a dishwasher. The dining table has four comfortable chairs and a large, heavy antique table that could easily sit for people for a long dinner.
The living room is decorated with two love seats, one of which is a sleeper. The furniture is in excellent condition and very comfortable to relax on. There is a coffee table and a small television. Notably, there is no phone in the apartment, but in this day and age with everyone carrying a cell phone, needing a calling card even if there was a phone, or not wanting a phone at all when on vacation, it really has us non-pulsed.
The bedroom has a queen sized bed that is an absolute dream. After several visits to France in rentals with lumpy or soft beds, this firm mattress was a dream come true when we collapse into bed each night. The bedroom itself is large enough to walk comfortably about the bed and you can just catch a glimpse of where we stored our suitcases near the alcove of the Madonna. There are two small windows and a fantastic skylight just over the bed. The skylight has a linen shade that keeps a good chunk of the sunlight out for Jacob who likes to sleep in, but provides ambient light during the day so you do not need to turn the lights on.
Finally, there is by all standards a fantastic bathroom considering our previous rentals. It is large, well designed, and the shower is tall enough that Jacob and I don’t need to bend over backwards to fit since the roof of the shower follows the pitch of the roof. Plus, there is a substantial water heater that provides nearly instantaneous and enough hot water for two people to shower and still have enough leftover that the water never runs cold.
The bonus of this apartment rental has been the amazing breakfasts our hosts provide each morning. The drinks are to order – tea for Jacob and coffee for me. The tea is a high end darjeeling and my coffee is that lovely dark and robust that I expect while living in France. The orange juice is real. Orange juice is one of those things that I think East Coasters take for granted. With Florida just a long haul truck away, living on the East Coast we have access to the most delicious orange juice year round at a minimal cost. When traveling outside of the US, we have found it more difficult to get a premium orange juice and tend to avoid it all together. The juice provided with our breakfast in the apartment might as well have come from or own fridge at home when it comes to quality. But, enough about the glory of orange juice. The bread basket includes two croissants, two pain au chocolate, and two small pieces of baguette sourced from Le Fournil de Luberon. Fresh strawberry and apricot jam are provided along with some butter.
Everything but the baguette is consumed by the time we finish a leisurely breakfast at the table. With the leftover baguette and jam, we make sandwiches to take with us on the road each day. I feel five years old eating jam sandwiches again!
The decor and the ambiance are a delightful aspect of our apartment. Nathalie and Bernard are antique collectors/dealers. Nathalie puts considerable time and energy into creating decor that fits seamlessly together. I love the chocolate brown accent wall and poured concrete counters in the kitchen. I never thought that dove grey could look good in a bedroom, but the neutral palette scheme works in creating a soothing oasis from the riot of color that awaits us every time we leave the apartment and go adventuring. The furniture is just enough and each piece is purposeful. Bernard has clearly spent considerable time renovating their home and the apartments to have all modern features necessary to live for extended periods.
What we truly love about the apartment:
- An honestly good mattress
- A large water heater
- Lots and lots of sunlight even on a rainy day
- Enough room for two 6′ + people to stretch out and relax
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April 9, 2008 No Comments
Day 1: Starving Sundays
The worst part about arriving in France on a Sunday is that very few things are open. After begging about at one of the local cafes that was still open on Sunday late afternoon, we were told to head in the general direction of the local cinema. We passed an unassuming kabob/pizza place before we stumbled upon Le Flamand Rose, a little pizzeria with a fantastic exterior and an equally wonderful couple running the place.
Jet lagged and starving, pizza was a quick and easy fix to our dilemma of being cold, tired, and hungry. The dining room was plenty warm from the wood-burning oven. The wife greeted us happily as we were the first customers for dinner. She obligingly and sweetly put up with the mangled jet-lagged French that I tried to use to make sure they were open for dinner and to politely ask to be seated. I love pizzerias when they are as casual as this place was for us.
Jacob ordered a mozzerella pizza and a simple side salad. I ordered tagatelli carbonara hoping for a nice cream, carb, and pork product fix that would fill me up and send me off to bed. As we waited for our order, we watched the husband prepare pizzas at his oven. Painstakingly we watched him take thin slices of mozzerella that he thoughtfully placed on the sauced dough. The dough and the cheese were so paper thin we wondered how it would stand up. After raking the coals away, he popped it into the oven for 2-3 minutes, carefully turned it, then it was another 2-3 minutes for done. Crisp, light, and fresh are the only ways to describe how simple becomes a masterpiece.
My tagatelli was good but too heavy. First, the portion was huge. Just absolutely huge. I could have eaten the whole portion served to me over four meals. The ingredients, once more, were excellent. The tagatelli was a fresh pasta, the cream sauce was made with a bit of emmental in it, the ham had a good but mild flavor, and the yolk was served fresh on the side to mix in along with some grated parmesan.
Perhaps the best part of the meal was the simple green salad. Plain old, every day bib lettuce was dressed in a delightfully rich olive oil, shaved parmagiano regiano cheese with a strong nutty flavor, chopped fresh garlic, and wedges of tomatoes. Simplicity once again transcended to divine in our eyes.
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April 8, 2008 1 Comment
Day 1: Lost in Apt
The nice thing about roundabouts is that they are perfect for U-turns. And this far out into the countryside, most roundabouts are single lane so you don’t need to compete with three lanes of traffic for priority.
While the N100 led us right to Apt and even to the square that our apartment was located near, there were a few snags. First, in Apt not all streets are clearly marked. Sometimes the sign is on the opposite end of the street you’re on and you just need to make an educated guess. Second, even if there are street signs, you probably can’t see them from your car. I have come to believe over the years in my trips to France that street signs are for pedestrians, not drivers.
So, we parked in the Place du Faubourg in Apt and quietly considered our options. It was a lovely place to sit with a plane tree overhead and two benches in the center. We looked down the streets to the west of the square and were chagrined as we searched for 66 Faubourg du Ballet. We knew that the GPS had us in the right spot but not quite as exact as we needed. After 15 minutes in the late Sunday afternoon we decided to head into the town center and see what we could get for directions.
(And, of course, Jacob’s blackberry would choose this particular moment to not have any reception, so we could not just call the owners of the apartment directly!)
Finally, we found a very kind police officer who pulled out the map in his office and gave us the logic of the street name that made perfect sense. Faubourg du Ballet = Rue du Ballet off of Place du Faubourg.
All along we were just a few hundred feet from our apartment!
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April 8, 2008 No Comments
Day 1: Dulles to Avignon
Our trip started out with a bit of a whimper. United announced last Wednesday that it would be grounding all of its Boeing 777 planes until it finished some inspections. That’s fine. We like to be safe. Unfortunately, it instilled in us a little fear that even if they could inspect all of the planes by our flight time on Saturday, the planes would still not be where they belonged geographically.
Low and behold, Saturday morning we started to see our flight get bumped back due to plane unavailability. Already on pins and needles, and having risen quite early on Saturday morning to help start shifting our internal clocks to France time, we watched our flight get bumped back three hours. Thankfully, we were still going to be in a 777 but instead of the lovely one from San Francisco, United decided to land the Paris to Dulles one and turn it back around again for our flight. And we still had some of the nicest seats on the plane, 21 H & J.
According to Jacob, I got more sleep than he did and I probably agree. While we both looked jet lagged when we landed in Paris, he certainly looked the worst for the wear. He suspected that he was coming down with a serious cold and by the time he landed, he was coughing and had horrible congestion. A little groggy but spurred on by the adrenaline that comes with an “unplugged” from work vacation, we dashed from Terminal 1 at CDG to the train station at Terminal 2.
The transfer to our train could not have been more perfect. First, the awful bus between Terminals 1 and 2 at CDG have been replaced by a fantastic, efficient, and frequent train. In a matter of minutes we went from the out of date, dark hole that is Terminal 1 into the bright and spacious new train station at Terminal 2. Since our plane/train tickets were entirely through United, we only spent a few minutes at the counter having someone transfer our tickets into the system. The good news was that second class was entirely full, so we were booked into first class on the TGV to Avignon!
Jacob is quite the train lover and had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to take out the GPS to collect data about our trip as we went. The top speed that we witnessed was over 170 mph before we both zonked for a long nap (the GPS recorded a top speed of 180 mph). But it was amazing to zoom through France starting cloudy and slightly raining in the north, snow(!) in the central regions, then the further south we reached, the sunnier to weather got until we just couldn’t help but smile every time we looked out the window.
While we were slightly intrigued by many of the photos that we had seen online about the Avignon TGV station, it was underwhelming. The overall design and modern interior were useful and light, but the exterior looked like a blimp hanger — another person’s cup of tea we suppose, but just not ours. At the Hertz office, we picked up our rental (a Toyota Prius) and had perhaps the pushiest sell experience we’ve ever had. So, after saying no several times to the incredulous and slightly rude agent, we headed off in exactly the car we had reserved, noting all additional scratches and dings, not to mention turning down what seemed like thirty different types of insurance. Declining all insurance (we’re covered in spades by our credit card) seemed to make the agent the most grumpy.
And there is no test like being thrown into the fire. While I may have read a bit ahead on what signs to expect, nothing prepared me for that first spin in France. Thank goodness the N100 (the road between Avignon and Apt) is pretty much a straight shot. Well, as straight as one can get with so many roundabouts.
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April 7, 2008 No Comments
In Apt, Safe and Sound
Just a little note to say that we made it safe and sound. There were a few delays at Dulles and we were considerably jet-lagged yesterday. We just got internet access in the apartment this morning. We’ll write more tonight!
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April 7, 2008 2 Comments
Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin
Every city has at least one defining event a year that the entire city becomes enamored with annually. Growing up near Portland, Oregon it is the Rose Festival. The entire city rises up to celebrate that gentle transition between spring and summer that is escorted in by the heady scent of thousands of rose bushes coming into bloom. In New York City, there is nothing more iconic than New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I could never quite brave the freezing temperatures to go stand for hours in the crowd, but while I lived in the city there was this magnetic pull to at least watch it on television.
In Washington, DC we are ushered into spring with what I think is the most gentle sight as the Yoshino cherries of the Tidal Basin reach peak bloom and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The Mall is cast in pink clouds for nearly a month from the start of bloom to the final petal falls.
On Sunday we had the daftest idea to go see the Tidal Basin’s luminous glory right at sunrise. This would be a rather easy task if the weather had been a little more cooperative. It wasn’t rain or wind, but the absolutely awful temperature of 27 degrees when we arrived at East Potomac Park at 6:45 a.m. In fact, what was causing the freezing temperatures was exactly why we decided to make the journey last Sunday. A high pressure system that came in over the weekend would prove to be the last we would see of any sunshine for the next few days. As a photographer, Nature provided a high contrast backdrop that was a dream come true.
And while we never quite warmed up after an hour and a half downtown, we did take a few moments to play with magnified images via a reversed 50mm fixed lens. The cherry blossoms and sun obliged us for a few fantastic macros.
The freezing temperatures over the weekend have prolonged the peak bloom of the Yoshino cherry trees at the Tidal Basin but today’s persistent rain and expected thunderstorms tomorrow will take a beating on existing blooms. Thankfully, we saw most Yoshinos on Sunday at about 50% of bloom. There will hopefully be plenty of blossoms for visitors who cannot make it to the Mall until next weekend.
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April 1, 2008 No Comments
